SEE NO EVIL (1971)
Director: Richard Fleischer
Columbia TriStar

After the enormous success of ROSEMARY'S BABY, it would have seemed likely that actress Mia Farrow would have been tapped for further thrillers in the same arena. Luckily for the actress, she was never typecast, but did make a quick return to the genre with 1971's SEE NO EVIL, a British made terror flick directed by veteran Richard Fleischer, who had handled the subject so well in THE BOSTON STRANGLER and 10 RILLINGTON PLACE. Although not based on true incidents like those two, SEE NO EVIL can be a gripping little film and the angle of a blind woman in peril is played to the hilt.

Young Sarah (Farrow) is recently blinded after a horse-riding accident. She goes to stay at the large country home of her aunt (Dorothy Alison), her uncle (Robin Bailey) and their daughter (Diane Grayson). One day after horseback riding with her nearby boyfriend, she comes home to what seems like an empty house, but the horrifying discovery of her slaughtered family is prolonged to the next day. After communicating with the assaulted and dying gardener (Brian Rawlinson), she is able to grab the ID bracelet of the killer, and uses her other senses to escape. But her hellish ride is far from over.

SEE NO EVIL was written by Brian Clemens, the man known for his work on The Avengers TV series, as well as Hammer films like DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE and CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER. While the script is not as unusual as some of his work, it sufficiently centers on the sightless victim's moments of fear and paranoia in an extremely deadly situation. Farrow is seen discovering bodies with her hands, almost taking a bath where one is lying, and stepping on glass with her bare feet--all while a sneaky murderer lurks about. His motivation is simple, in that the father of the family splashed him with mud while driving off. It is a given that he is psychotic and wants revenge for this minuscule reason, and he is only recognizable on the screen through his pair of cowboy boots--that is until the end.

Farrow is very convincing, and the film seemed a good vehicle for her at that point in her career, and she would soon go on to working with more of some of the finest directors in the biz. Horror fans will recognize some of the cast members from other films including Christopher Matthews (SCARS OF DRACULA), Norman Eshley (THE LOST CONTINENT), Barrie Houghton (CRY OF THE BANSHEE) and pop star Paul Nicholas, years before his notable performances in several Ken Russell musicals.

Columbia TriStar has presented SEE NO EVIL on DVD in its original theatrical ratio of 1:85:1 with anamorphic enhancement. The colors look very pleasing, black levels are fairly crisp. There is a small amount of grain during a few scenes, though nothing to shout about. Not a very dialog driven film, the mono audio serves it well, nicely rendering Elmer Bernstein's overbearing score. French and English subtitles are optional.

There are no extras except for a trailer for the film (yeah!) and trailers for HOMICIDAL and OBSESSION. (George R. Reis)

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